Connection device for electrical installation

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a connection device which can be used to make connections, either between a wire and a terminal, or between two wires, said device being composed of a dielectric pressed part bearing a guide allowing the nesting of the end of one of the two wires to be connected to a terminal or to another wire, said guide being fitted with a parallel sleeve, the cross section of which is identical to that of the plug or the pin secured to the end of the other wire to be connected with, in such way that the bare end of the wire inserted into the guide of the device will be allowed to be folded over at 180* so as to get housed in its sleeve, the plug or terminal being then inserted in said sleeve in such way as to come in contact with the bare wires, thus providing the electrical connection between the two wires.

United States Patent [72) Inventor Gerard Paul Louis Dumesnil 17 Rue Saint Marc, Seine Saint Denis, France [21] Appl. No. 823,288 [221 Filed May 9, 1969 {45] Patented July 20, 1971 [32] Priority May 22. I968 [33] France [31 152843 [54] CONNECTION DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION 9 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl '339/244, 339/273 [51] Int.Cl H0lr 7/06 [50] Field of Search 339/47- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,118 4/1954 Stone 339/144 3,079,579 2/1963 Crimmins et a1 339/49 Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Novosad Assistant Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Atiorneyl(inzer, Dorn and Zickert ABSTRACT: The invention relates to a connection device which can be used to make connections, either between a wire and a terminal, or between two wires, said device being composed of a dielectric pressed part bearing a guide allowing the nesting of the end of one of the two wires to be connected to a terminal or to another wire, said guide being fitted with a parallel sleeve, the cross section of which is identical to that of the plug or the pin secured to the end of the other wire to be connected with, in such way that the bare end of the wire inserted into the guide of the device will be allowed to be folded over at 180 so as to get housed in its sleeve, the plug or terminal being then inserted in said sleeve in such way as to come in contact with the bare wires, thus providing the electrical connection between the two wires,

PATENTEU M20 1911 3594 715 sum 1 or 3 PATENTED JUL20 I971 SHEET 2 DP 3 CONNECTION DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION Electrical connections are increasingly used in the every day life, this as'a result of the constant expansion of the utilization of electricity under both home and-industrial appliances.

Normal electrical installations require therefore, for the connection of the various electrical orelectronic components they are designed to feed, anumber-of connecting devices, which increases in direct ratio with the steady expansion of electrical appliances.

It is essential in all cases that connections, either between wire to wire or between wire to terminal" be as good as possible, that their cost price be reduced-to a minimum and also that the time required for their manufacture be asshort as possible.

The setting generally used-for carrying out an electrical connection to an appliance consists securing .to the end of the connecting wire, either by welding, byjamming,or by means of a screw or a stirrup, a terminal or-an eyelet, of various shapes, which, in turn, is secured to the appliance by means similar to those indicated above. The whole unit is eventually insulated.

On the other hand, connections betweenwire to wire" are generallymade by means of splices, i.e., by-crisscrossing of the strands ofthewwire or the .cable, or by means of special connection pieces called dominos."

Connection devices made of conical threaded screws twisting the wires together are also already in common use.

All these various settings, whether splices or conical threaded nuts, are objectionable in many ways and in particular because the strands of the wires become rapidly cropped, and as .a result, this makes it difficult to carry out several assemblies or dissassemblies without causing some damage to the bare parts of the wires.

The object of the invention is to'overcome these inconveniences and relates, to this end, to a connection device for electrical installation, especially designed to make connections, either between wires and terminals, or between wires and wires, said device being made of a tubular guide, assem bled with a sleeve extending on a-portion of its length, the bare end of the first wire to be connected being folded over the side separating-the guide from the sleeve in such way that the plug or male part, connected with the other wire, will come directly in contact with all the strands of this bare end merely by inscrition in said sleeve, thereby allowing a quick, eflicient and stur dy connection.

According to a one embodiment the shape of the connection deviceis adapted to its use on flat-shaped plugs and, in

this case, the parallel sleeve is given a rectangular section and is split all along its length, so as to demarcate two grooves into which are fitted the side edges of the flat plug, thereby jamming the bare end of the wire to be connected.

According to another embodiment and in the case of cylindrical plugs," the sleeve, which is parallel to the guide, is given a cylindrical shape and is split all over its length, the bore of said sleeve being slightly larger than the diameter of the male cylindrical plug, so as to allow its fitting into said sleeve, thus providing the connection and securing the strands of the wire against the side separating the sleeve from the guide.

A connection device, according to the invention, is shown, as a nonrestrictive example, on the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a drawing in perspective of one embodiment of the connection device, ready for assembly with a flat plug:

FIG. 2 is a drawing in perspective, according to FIG. 1, showing the connection device assembled with the flat plug.

FIG. 3 is a drawing in perspective of one embodiment of the connection device fitted with a cylindrical pin.

FIG. 4 is a drawing in perspective, according to FIG. 3,

showing the connection device assembled with a pin.

FIG. '5 is a drawing in perspective, of one embodiment of the'conn'ection device in the'case of a connection wire to wire." 7 ,7

FIGS. 6 to 8 are drawings in perspective of three different embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 9'is a drawing in perspective of one embodiment in which the female eyelet is completely insulated.

The connection device, according to the invention, is composed either of an eyelet, in the case of a connection between a wire and a terminal, or of two eyelets, in the case. of a connection between a wire and a wire.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the eyelet, intended for a wire to terminal connection, is made of a guide having the shape of a cylindrical tubular part 1, which allows the housing of a wire 2, said tubular part2 havingan inner diameter larger than that of the wire and being provided with a slightly conical intake in order to make the fitting in of said wneeasrer.

, Tubular part 1 is extended on alportion of its length, by a slotted rectangular shape sleeve, composed of two symmetrical wings I, and I, which are twice folded over successively at in such way as'to form two' grooves 3, and 3 facing each other.

Grooves 3, and 3 are spaced outby a width larger than the inner diameter of the tubular part, in order that the strands 2, of the bare end of the wire are allowed to spread out freely.

Moreoventhelength between grooves 3, and 3 depends on the width of a-male plug 4 jammed on a second wire 5.

The fitting of the wire in the connection device, and the assembly of said connection device with male plug 4, can be made very easily. Theend of wire 2 is merely fitted in the guide or the tubular part 1, far enough that it will come out from the front side 1 of the tubular part. The end of this wire is then made bare,'and strands 2, of this bare part folded over at I 8 0- so as to press them against the inner wall separating the tubular part from the sleeve designed to house the male plug.

I In order to prevent the loop 2 of the bare end of the wire from jutting out over the front side 1 of the connection device, the inner wall or contact surface is cut in such way as to be in recess of said front side 1 Thereby, and as shown on FIG. 2, once the side edges of plug 4 are fitted in grooves 3, and 3,, loop 2 gets screened.

The invention has been conceived and developed to provide a device easy to manufacture and to fit.

Besides,.and owing to the connection device, the connection between the wire 2 and the terminal, plug 4, is extremely simple, since it is merely caused by the fitting of plug 4 into grooves 3, and 3 thereby providing a perfect contact between wires 2 ant 5.

Lastly, the strands of the bare end of the wire 2 being perfectly spread out, the device provides asa result the highest contact surface, due to the fact all the strands of the end'of the wire remain in touch with this contact surface. I

In order to improve the tightening of the male ,plug in grooves 3, and 3 of the sleeve, wings I, and 1 of the rectangular sleeve may be secured together by a stiffening rib 13, as

shown on FIG. 6. Said rib shall of course be molded in one piece with the eyelet and should preferably extend from the front part of the eyelet.

FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of the female eyelet, which is similar to that shown on FIG. 6, with the exception that the groove, extending all over the length of the rectangular sleeve, is partly sealed by a flexible thinned down rim 14, whose end 14,, located at the front part of the eyelet, is bevelled in such way as to make easier, on the one hand, the fitting ofthe bare part of the wire into the sleeve and, on the other hand, to allow theraising of said ritn upon the fitting in of the wire.

Furthermore, this flexible rim 14 may have a width larger than that of the sleeve groove, in order to allow the fitting of said rim into said sleeve, thereby being held by a longitudinal shoulder 15, worked into the inner part. A perfect insulation ofthe female eyelet is thereby'obtained, since the flexible rim covers entirely the open part'of said eyelet.

It will be noted also that this connection device, made preferably of an insulating material, provides an excellent insulation together with a high resistance to corrosion.

Finally, the cost of this connection device is extremely low, due to the fact that insulating materials are less expensive than high conductor materials used heretofore.

According to another embodiment of the invention, as shown on FIG. 3 and 4, the connection device appears under a shape different from that shown on FIGS. 1 and 2, in that the sleeve is cylindrical instead of being rectangular, in order to fit the cylindrical shape ofa pin 6 or other male plug.

Tubular part I is extended indeed, on a part of its length, by another parallel tubular piece 7, split all along its length at point 8, so as to allow the user to fold over easily the bare portion 2, of wire 2 against the thin wall separating the two tubular pieces 1 and 7.

Here again, this inner thin wall is slightly in recess, at its end 9, in comparison with the front face 7 of the two tubular pieces 1 and 7.

Naturally, the bore 7 of the tubular piece 7 has a diameter slightly larger than that of male plug 6, so as to allow the fitting in of the latter, while jamming the bare end 2 of the wire, as shown on FIG. 4.

In order to improve the tightening of the female eyelet on the cylindrical plug 6, said female eyelet may be provided with a circular stiffening rim 16, as shown on FIG. 8, holding at the same time the tubular piece serving as a guide for the wire and the cylindrical sleeve 7.

A uniform tightening will be thereby obtained all around the periphery of cylindrical plug 6, since the material will strain, in a symmetrical way, all over its periphery.

It is obvious that the embodiments hereinabove described are given only as examples and that the connection device may be made under many different designs, depending on the connection with which it will be used.

The connection device, for instance, may include, as shown on FIGS. 1 to 8, a single guide and a single sleeve, or several guides and several sleeves forming one single piece.

A connection device pressed in one piece and fitted with several output terminals can therefore be used for making a number of connections.

The connection device for connection between wire to wire (FIG. 5 is based on the same principle as that described in the above-mentioned embodiments.

However, the shape of the connection device is slightly different in that the sleeve 10, extending from tubular piece I, is designed in such way as to house, merely by fitting in, the sleeve 11 ofa second eyelet or a male connection device 12.

Sleeve 10 of female eyelet l bears, to this end, a bore having a complementary shape with respect to the outer section of sleeve 11 of the male device 12, and the connection between wires 2 and 5 of the two eyelets is made by the jamming of the two bare ends of the wires between the connection plates l and ll of the two sleeves to and 1 1.

Owing to the fact these two connection plates are comparatively large, the bare ends 2 and of the wire can expand, thereby increasing appreciably the connection surface.

Moreover, in order to allow an easier folding over of the bare end 2 of wire 2, sleeve is provided with an aperture 10 so as to allow the use ofa tool for the folding back, at 180 the end 2 ofthe wire.

The connection device may, of course, be fitted with locking systems or lugs which, in cooperation with notches in the male plugs, will provide an instant locking of the parts between them. However, said locking systems should be preferably spaced out on the inner wall of the stiffening rims shown on FIG. 6 to 8.

Besides, the hair-pin" folding of the bare part of the wires and the jamming of the latter will provide a firm holding of the wires in the male and female eyelets and, at the same time, prevent any unexpected tearing out of the wires from the eyelets.

In the example shown on FIG. 5, the direct connection between the two wires allows furthermore a sizeable reduction of the voltage drop at the terminals of the connection, and, as a result, a reduction of power waste as well as ofoverheating.

In a corrosive atmosphere, in the case ofa connection wire to wire," no electrical couple is created, due to the fact the two materials are of the same nature.

In order to finish off entirely the insulation of the female eyelet, either in the case of a connection wire-terminal" or of a connection wire to wire, said eyelet may bear, as shown on FIG. 9, a shutter 17 hinged on the sleeve at point 18, said shutter being fitted with a nosepiece 17 so designed as to grapple on to shouldering 19 of said sleeve.

Thereby, once the bare part of the wire is fitted into the sleeve and the male plug is also fitted onto this sleeve, the open part of said sleeve will be masked merely by folding over the hinged shutter 17. It is also possible to make this shutter 17 independent from the sleeve. In this case, said shutter should be U-shaped, the two legs of which will include nosepieces similar to nosepiece l7 shown in FIG. 9, and the assembly is made merely by the sliding of said shutter on wings I, and 1 of the rectangular sleeve.

In order to avoid the loss of this shutter, a cord may easily secured to the sleeve, at the time of the moulding, so as to ensure a liaison between said sleeve and the shutter. In other cases, it is obvious that the sleeve may bear no slot at all, which cuts out all insulation problems. In this case, the mere fitting of the male plug into the female eyelet will be enough to jam the wire in the sleeve.

All these connection devices, whether eyelets intended for wire to terminal" or for wire-to-wire connections are concerned, provide the salient advantages indicated hereunder:

they can be made by moulding, particularly by the injection process, by means ofa simple mould (in two parts).

they are, as a consequence, unexpensive.

they can be assembled very easily. (practically no handwork and no tools are required).

their use does not cause any voltage drop. The reason for this is:

a. a direct contact of the wire strands on the terminal or on the other wire,

b. a large surface of the strands placed simultaneously in contact with the strands of the other wire or with the terminal, the spreading of the strands being merely obtained by the shape of the piece, this being done automatically without any care from the operator,

c. the regular pressure urged by the eyelet on all the strands, even in the case of a slight spreading unevenness, this owing to the flexibility of the eyelet (a rigid eyelet would in fact exert a high pressure only at the point where the strands crossing each other have a maximum thickness, the other strands being not tightened and would not as a consequence serve to convey the flow of the current),

the contact between two metals of the same nature, in the case of the connection wire to wire, which avoids any risk of electrical couples even in corrosive atmosphere,

a strong resistance to vibrations, owing to the fact none of the components are rigid,

an instant insulation of the connection without the use of any other additional device.

Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the embodiments hereinabove shown and described from which other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention which come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A connection device for electrical installation, for connecting a stranded conductive wire to a conductive male terminal member, comprising:

an elongated tubular guide of insulator material, having a wire entrance end for receiving a conductive wire and having a connection end, said guide being open at both ends;

a sleeve, formed integrally with said guide and extending from said connection end of said guide back parallel to said guide;

an end wall, between said guide and said sleeve at said connection end of said guide, over which a bared end segment of a stranded conductive wire extending through said guide is reverse bent back into said sleeve through an angle of about 180;

and a male terminal member, having an external configuration substantially complementary to the internal configuration of said sleeve, fitting axially into said sleeve, for jamming against a substantial length of the portion of said conductive wire which extends into said sleeve to complete a large surface electrical connection thereto and simultaneously lock said conductive wire into said sleeve and said guide.

2. A connection device according to claim 1 in which said end wall intermediate said guide and said sleeve is recessed, at said connection end of said guide, so that the entire bared length of said conductive wire is encompassed in said guide and said sleeve.

3. A connection device according to claim 1 in which said male terminal member is a substantially flat conductive plug and in which said sleeve is of rectangular internal configuration and is slotted throughout its length to afford two internal grooves for receiving the side edges of said flat plug.

4. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1 in which said male terminal member is a conductive plug of cylindrical cross'sectional configuration and in which said sleeve is of cylindrical cross-sectional configuration and is slotted throughout its length, said sleeve having an internal bore slightly larger than that of the cylindrical plug.

5. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1 in which said guide and said sleeve, at the connection end of said guide, include a stiffening rim formed integrally with and encompassing both said guide and said sleeve.

- 6. A connection device for electrical installation, according to claim 1, in which said male terminal member comprises an insulator plug having a stranded electrically conductive wire extending axially therethrough and bent over the free end of the plug at an angle of approximately onto a relatively flat contact surface, and in which theinternal portion of said sleeve includes a complementary contact surface for jamming the two strand conductors against each other in interleaved fashion upon insertion of said male tenninal member into said sleeve.

7. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim I, in which said sleeve includes a longitudinally extending slot along the side of the sleeve opposite said guide, and further comprising a flexible shutter, formed integrally with said sleeve atone side of said slot and engageable with a shoulder along the other side of said slot to close said slot in said sleeve.

8. A connection device for electrical installation, according to claim l, in which said sleeve includes a longitudinal slot along the side thereof opposite said guide, and further comprising a hinged shutter formed integrally with said sleeve at one side of said slot and fitting over the opposite side of said slot to close said slot.

9. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1, in which said sleeve includes a longitudinal slot along the side thereof opposite said guide, and further comprising a sliding cover for said slot, secured to one of said guide and said sleeve by a cord. 

1. A connection device for electrical installation, for connecting a stranded conductive wire to a conductive male terminal member, comprising: an elongated tubular guide of insulator material, having a wire entrance end for receiving a conductive wire and having a connection end, said guide being open at both ends; a sleeve, formed integrally with said guide and extending from said connection end of said guide back parallel to said guide; an end wall, between said guide and said sleeve at said connection end of said guide, over which a bared end segment of a stranded conductive wire extending through said guide is reverse bent back into said sleeve through an angle of about 180*; and a male terminal member, having an external configuration substantially complementary to the internal configuration of said sleeve, fitting axially into said sleeve, for jamming against a substantial length of the portion of said conductive wire which extends into said sleeve to complete a large surface electrical connection thereto and simultaneously lock said conductive wire into said sleeve and said guide.
 2. A connection device according to claim 1 in which said end wall intermediate said guide and said sleeve is recessed, at said connection end of said guide, so that the entire bared length of said conductive wire is encompassed in said guide and said sleeve.
 3. A connection device according to claim 1 in which said male terminal member is a substantially flat conductive plug and in which said sleeve is of rectangular internal configuration and is slotted throughout its length to afford two internal grooves for receiving the side edges of said flat plug.
 4. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1 in which said male terminal member is a conductive plug of cylindrical cross-sectional configuration and in which said sleeve is of cylindrical cross-sectional configuration and is slotted throughout its length, said sleeve having an internal bore slightly larger than that of the cylindrical plug.
 5. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1 in which said guide and said sleeve, at the connection end of said guide, include a stiffening rim formed integrally with and encompassing both said guide and said sleeve.
 6. A connection device for electrical installation, according to claim 1, in which said male terminal member comprises an insulator plug having a stranded electrically conductive wire extending axially therethrough and bent over the free end of the plug at an angle of approximately 180* onto a relatively flat contaCt surface, and in which the internal portion of said sleeve includes a complementary contact surface for jamming the two strand conductors against each other in interleaved fashion upon insertion of said male terminal member into said sleeve.
 7. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1, in which said sleeve includes a longitudinally extending slot along the side of the sleeve opposite said guide, and further comprising a flexible shutter, formed integrally with said sleeve at one side of said slot and engageable with a shoulder along the other side of said slot to close said slot in said sleeve.
 8. A connection device for electrical installation, according to claim 1, in which said sleeve includes a longitudinal slot along the side thereof opposite said guide, and further comprising a hinged shutter formed integrally with said sleeve at one side of said slot and fitting over the opposite side of said slot to close said slot.
 9. A connection device for electrical installation according to claim 1, in which said sleeve includes a longitudinal slot along the side thereof opposite said guide, and further comprising a sliding cover for said slot, secured to one of said guide and said sleeve by a cord. 